


I Knew You Once

by sighmonk



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Acceptance, Axca and Keith are siblings, Coming Out, Family Issues, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Krolia loves her son, Tags Are Hard, Trans Keith (Voltron), Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-05-26
Packaged: 2019-04-29 13:28:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14473728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sighmonk/pseuds/sighmonk
Summary: Sixteen years - that's how long it had been since Keith had last seen his mother. Since then, a lot of things had changed, and he found himself not caring whether he really saw her again. After all, he only knew two things about her: she was Galra, and she abandoned him. And after finding out how most Galra felt about trans people, he found himself hoping they never met.But, of course, Kolivan had to send him on a mission to meet his mother.





	I Knew You Once

"No way," Keith muttered, the words escaping him before he could really process what was happening. "You're my...?"

Oblivious was one of the many things that Keith had been called throughout his life, and he had to admit, it was for good reason. Picking up on subtle hints wasn't exactly his strong suit, especially if said hints were verbal (talking wasn't his expertise either). But when the Galra woman before him nodded in response, a sad, pained look on her face, he couldn't help but mentally slap himself. It took him a few seconds of him actually looking her over, but he couldn't help but deny the similar features he saw on himself: the sharp angles of her face, the narrowed eyes, all of it. The only difference, of course, was that Krolia was female.

And realizing that was what made Keith's heart begin to race. If it was true, that he really  _was_ her child, she must have figured out that -  
  
"That… you must have the wrong human," Keith stuttered, backing himself up against the wall, muscles tensing up and drawing close to protect his chest. He gave a desperate laugh, fear obvious on his face. "There are a lot of humans… and a lot more Galra. I’m sure there are plenty of half-breeds like me. There’s no way you were the only Galra to have children with a human…"

"No," Krolia said, a softness in her tone as she took a step forward, resting her hand on the side of Keith’s face. He flinched at the touch. He couldn't help but feel like the world was caving in around him as a hazy memory of his childhood came to mind, and his breathing nearly stopped as she spoke again. "I am quite certain you are my kit, the one I left on Earth… my daughter Alacia."

The moment the word was uttered, Keith shook his head, a look of fear and hatred on his face. Without wasting a second, he grabbed Krolia by the wrist, looping his other hand around her neck as he twisted her around, pinning her up against the wall. Despite the fact that he was nearly a foot shorter than her, he was able to maneuver her around easily, and the  _thud_ that echoed throughout the ship was more than satisfying. At some point, he had drawn his knife, pressing it hard against her neck, and Krolia gave a look of surprise.

"Don’t you ever fucking call me that again," he growled, something feral and desperate in his throat. Already, tears were threatening to spill from his eyes, but he continued. "Never fucking again, you hear me? That’s not who I am. I’m _not_ your fucking daughter. If you call me that, I won’t be your son either."

Krolia blinked. "My sincerest apologies, my kit…" She reached up a hand to push the blade away, which the smaller of the two allowed (he really didn’t feel like killing his own mother, after all). After a second of silence, she spoke again. "Things have been too heavy today, and I didn’t mean at all to offend you. May I give you a hug? It’s been… so long."

"What’s my name?"

"Keith."

For a moment, neither moved. But, seemingly approving her answer, Keith lurched forward after tucking his knife back in its sheath, wrapping his skinny arms around his mother’s midsection. She didn’t waste any time as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, running one of her hands through his fluffy black hair. A sigh of relief escaped the both of them, and Keith couldn’t help but let loose the tears he had been holding back for a while now, taking short, harsh breaths as the tears ran down his cheeks.

If he were to be honest, he never expected to meet his mother again - not that he actually remembered her, but still. He knew she was Galra, and he knew that she had left him, and he hadn't really wanted to know much else about her. Perhaps, he often found himself thinking, it was better off if he never met her: then she wouldn't have to find out her child wasn't the same one she left on Earth. But now that he was here, arms wrapped around his mother, his childhood came rushing back to him in an instant - flashbacks of his father leaving peppering his mind. 

Without meaning to, a hatred began to well in his chest, resentment churning in restless spirals as he dug his nails into her back, trying his best to even his breathing before he could even begin to talk to her. What was he supposed to say: _"I love you, Mom!"_ After being abandoned by her at four, that wasn't going to happen.

"Where were you for sixteen years?" he cried, backing up and looking to meet her gaze. "Where were you? Why did you leave me?"

A frown marred Krolia’s face as her son spoke, and she reached forward to wipe his tears. "There are so many things to explain, and sadly, this is not the proper place to do it," she said, running a hand through his hair and tucking it behind his ears. "The most simple answer is that your sister and I were too alien for Earth, as the planet is so isolated. But, while explaining is hard, I can say I'm sorry a million times over for leaving you. I never wanted to, not for all the universe, and to think I even missed your changing..."

Keith blinked up at his mother, his eyebrows raised slightly. “Hold up, I have a sister?”

"A twin sister, yes," the older of the two said, confusion on her face. "Do you not remember Axca?"

"Axca? Wait a minute…" Realization shone on his face. "Oh fuck. Was she one of Lotor’s generals?"

“Yes, she was." A pause. “Why is that?”

Keith let out a sigh as the weight of the situation hit him. "I know who she is - we've run into each other more than once, and Lotor told me she was also half-human, but... I didn’t realize we were siblings, however. You’ll have to… explain this to me later." He took a step back, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers in almost utter disbelief. "But what do you mean ‘changing’?"

"By change, I mean the operation," Krolia explained, suddenly looking a tad bit uncomfortable. "Unless I am reading this situation wrong. You are a _degis mis_ , yes?"

"Um, yeah," Keith confirmed, looking down at his feet and rubbing the back of his head. God, this was fucking uncomfortable, and he wasn't exactly sure why. Perhaps it was his own personality and his dislike of talking personal things with others, which was probably something he inherited from his mother - it certainly wasn't from his father, who would blabber himself into a stupor when he drank himself to sadness. But even more likely was the fact that the Galra weren't too keen on respecting those like him, even if the Blade of Marmora tried their best. The thought sent shivers down Keith's spine as he began to speak again. "I’m one of those… but I haven’t had any operations yet…"

  
Krolia blinked. "Then you are still my daughter?" It almost sounded like there was hope in her voice.

  
"Absolutely not!" Keith shouted, disgust clear in his voice as his attitude virtually flipped. He had been right in thinking it was because of Galra culture, but that didn't quell the anger that spread through him like a wildfire, shooting glares made of daggers at the one who bore him. "I’m your _son_! I’m a _man_!" He took another step away from her and turned his back, frustration clear in his posture. "Sure, I haven’t gotten the fucking surgeries yes, because I’m in fucking _space_ , but I am still a man!"

  
"You smell like - " Krolia began, only to be cut off.

  
"No shit I smell like a woman – probably Axca to be specific, huh? Smell like blood and membranes – that’s how Lotor described it!" He turned back to her. "Yeah, it’s called a fucking period. Hurts like a bitch too. Happens to human females, and apparently some other species, but no, not Galra. Of course, I had to get my fucking human traits for that!"

"Keith – "

"No, shut up!" He took his knife and hurled it towards her, lodging it in the space right below her ear. "I get it, the Galra aren’t fond of being transgender or the _degis mis_ or whatever the fuck you want to call it. Not even the Blade, no matter how much Kolivan insists it’s okay. But things work differently for humans. I am a _man_! My name is Keith! Keith Kogane!" He stalked up to her, pointing a finger in her face. "Don’t call me your fucking daughter, Krolia."

Despite her better judgement, the Galra soldier couldn't help but make a snide comment as she was threatened, even if she knew it was probably the last thing she should do in this moment. "You know I could kick your ass into next week, right?" Krolia deadpanned, looking down at her child.

Keith let out a snort of contempt, lowering his hand and once again looking at her as though she were made of shit. Normally, he wouldn't be this mad at someone misgendering him, but after fighting and killing all day, along with the revelation that Krolia was his mother, it was just all too much for him. "Like I give a shit. I’ve been through more hurt than you ever fucking have - a lot of which was thanks to you, by the way," he hissed, finding himself both sorry and proud as he saw her flinch. “And I need to know if you’re going to leave like dad did or if you’re actually going to accept me."

"Your father left you?"

A beat.

"When I was fifteen, yeah," he said, his aggravation wavering as he was caught off guard. "He… left once Shiro moved in, and once I told him I was trans…"

Without any warning, she pulled him into a hug, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head. To her surprise, he didn’t try to escape her grasp, so she continued to hold him ever-so tightly, wishing she could have protected him from everything. "Keith, my kit, I’m so sorry," she purred, brushing the hair out of his face. "If I had known he would have done that, I would have taken you with me. But Earth just seemed right for you…"

Shaking his head, Keith let out a sigh, silent tears dripping down his cheeks. “It wasn’t.”

He was too tired to say much else.

"It’s fine now, my son," Krolia muttered, offering him a gentle smile. "You are my child, and I could never leave you. I cannot lie and say that I’m not a tad off-put at this turn of events -” Keith cringed at this "– but I can promise that, to me, you are indeed my son. You are Keith to me. Okay, my kit?"

  
Keith nodded, relaxing himself back into the hug. "I'm sorry for what I said...”

  
Krolia chuckled. “It's okay, son. I'm guessing it's been a long day?”

  
“Far too fucking long,” the shorter Blade agreed, wiping his eyes with a free hand. “Would you be okay with me taking a nap?”

  
“Go ahead,” Krolia said, letting go of her son as he pulled his knife from the wall. “You can take the co-pilot’s seat. I’ll pilot us back… it’s not too far away anyways.”

  
Keith nodded, settling himself down into the chair. He let out a sigh: a mixture of relief, apprehension, and fear escaping his lips. Krolia did the same, a single thought on her mind as she took the ship off of auto-pilot.

  
_I’m going to punch Kolivan in the face._

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This fic takes place in season five episode five, though I'm sure most of y'all know this. I think this fits in rather well with the trans Keith headcanon, so I went ahead and wrote it, even though I know a few others have already.
> 
> And if you're confused about the term "degis mis", it's the Galra word for transgender that I used in my other fic "In A Bind". I think I'm going to stick with it, as I'm actually quite fond of the term.
> 
> Anyways, thank you guys for reading, and please let me know if y'all have any suggestions on what I should write next!


End file.
